No Christmas

"By not celebrating Christmas [...] I learned how to be truly thankful for my family and what I have."

By Brittany Lamb

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Seventeen-year old Brittany Lamb is a devout Christian, but her family doesn't celebrate Christmas. They believe that Christmas celebrations focus too much on American materialism instead of traditional Christian values. Last year, however, Brittany broke her family's rules and celebrated the holiday at her grandmother's house...and learned an important lesson about holiday celebration, and her family. (December 25 on NPR's Morning Edition)

When I was eight or nine my Granny bought me a present for Christmas. She knew it was against my family's beliefs to celebrate birthdays or Christmas, but she did it anyway.

It was a Cabbage Patch doll. I was so excited. Dad told me I had to give it up. Mom helped me hide the doll behind the couch. I kept her for years till she fell apart.

It's not that we aren't religious. I’ve been going to the same small Christian church, that my family helped found, since I was born. My father's a teacher there, and my uncle and grandfather are bishops.

My family and I believe there is one God, we read the Bible, and we have church on Saturdays. But we also believe that Christmas is not based on completely Christian morals, and that the holiday is made from traditions from other faiths, some of them pre-Christian.

That's why when there were Christmas plays at school, I couldn't be in them. I couldn't sing Jingle Bells or make gingerbread houses. I had to continue my daily work like nothing was going on. My friends soon started to ask me why. They couldn't understand a Christmas with no presents.

They would sneak and secretly buy me earrings, ornaments and other gifts. I would take the gifts home and hide them. Anything they gave me I cherished, no matter how small. To this day, I still have a bag full of old Christmas cards that I've saved for years.

For me, Christmas was watching the Christmas specials on TV by myself. I was never really sure what it was supposed to be about. Looking at the holiday from the outside, all I noticed was who was putting up the biggest snowglobe in their yard and the frenzy of shopping for presents.

I lasted 16 years without Christmas. Then last year, going against my beliefs and my family, I had my first Christmas at Granny's house. Tree, presents, trimmings and all. But in the end, I realized I was not missing anything special. It was the same as any family gathering.

Now, I actually appreciate what my dad was trying to teach me. By not celebrating Christmas, I escaped the materialism that comes along with the holiday. I learned how to be truly thankful for my family and what I have. I don't feel deprived without Christmas any more.

I’m not celebrating Christmas this year. Now, not celebrating my 18th birthday? That's a different story. I'm not sure I can give that up.

- Brittany Lamb is a high school senior from McRoberts, Kentucky. Her essay was produced by the Appalachian Media Institute and Youth Radio.